Sure enough, Xiao Shao quickly fetched some water and seemed to have said a few words outside. Jiang Ruan was somewhat embarrassed to think that it was only Lian Qiao and the others who were part of the Jinyi Guards. Xiao Shao walked to the edge of the bed and was about to bend down to carry her. Jiang Ruan was startled and asked, "What are you doing?"
"If you don't let the servant girl serve you, I will carry you over to freshen up." Xiao Shao replied good-naturedly.
"No need." Jiang Ruan lifted the quilt and was about to jump down, "I can wash myself." If she were to wash with Xiao Shao like this, even if she pretended to be calm, she would not be able to remain calm. Who knew that as soon as she moved, she would feel sore and weak all over, and immediately stopped.
Xiao Shao looked at her calmly and suddenly smiled, "I won't do anything."
Jiang Ruan thought that at this moment, it would indeed be difficult for her to wash herself, and if she continued to refuse, it would seem pretentious. So she nodded and Xiao Shao bent down to carry her to the wooden tub behind the screen. The two of them had tossed and turned, and Jiang Ruan was already very tired. Xiao Shao, on the other hand, looked very refreshed and carried her effortlessly. When she sat in the wooden tub, the gentle water was very comfortable. As soon as Jiang Ruan relaxed, she felt her eyelids become heavy and she did not know when she had fallen asleep. By the time Xiao Shao carefully helped her dry her body, Jiang Ruan had already fallen into a deep sleep. Xiao Shao smiled and carried her back to the bed, tucking her in.
He was afraid that Jiang Ruan would be tired, so he had to be considerate for the first time. At this moment, seeing her sleeping so soundly, his heart ached and he leaned over to kiss her forehead lightly. Lian Qiao came in with a bowl of medicine. Xiao Shao silently shook his head at her. Lian Qiao was well aware of this and secretly laughed as she retreated.
That night, how many people in the Jinying Wang fu knew about this charming and gentle affair? Presumably, only the secret guards lying on the eaves of the walls would know. However, the final winner of the bet that Jin Si had made was the banker himself. Jin Si generously took out the gambling money and invited everyone to eat and drink. When they were tipsy, the secret guards all cried tears of joy. It was as if they could see the next young master of the Jinying Wangfu rushing over to the Wangfu.
By the time Jiang Ruan woke up, it was already the morning of the second day. After a night's sleep, her body felt as if it had been run over by something, and it was even worse than the previous night. The quilt beside her was neat and tidy. Xiao Shao was not on the bed. She propped herself up and sat up. The door creaked open and Xiao Shao walked in with a bowl of medicine. When he saw that Jiang Ruan had woken up, he placed the bowl of medicine on the small table that had collapsed. Reaching out, he touched her forehead and asked, "Does your body still hurt?"
Jiang Ruan: "..."
Xiao Shao couldn't help but laugh again. These days, he often laughed. His appearance was good to begin with, and when he laughed like this, he looked like a peach blossom. He was probably in a very good mood after eating. Jiang Ruan compared herself to herself. Reaching out, she picked up the bowl of medicine from the side and blew on it. After a few mouthfuls, she downed the medicine.
That medicine was probably a prescription that Xiao Shao had ordered someone to prescribe. It was quite effective. After drinking it, she felt her body warm up, and even the soreness had lessened a lot.
After she finished drinking, Xiao Shao took the empty bowl from Jiang Ruan's hands and said, "You can rest in the room today."
"That won't do." Jiang Ruan shook her head, "Today, the Case Department is trying a case. I have to make a trip there." After thinking for a while, she said, "My body has almost recovered after drinking the medicine. It's not a big deal to go and listen to the case. You don't have to worry. "
Xiao Shao knew that Jiang Ruan always had her own ideas. Her attitude of admitting her mistakes was good, but next time, she would still disregard her own body. His heart ached, but he was also helpless, so he said, "I will let Jin San and the others follow you. The people from the Case Department will not make things difficult for you. "
The meaning of his words was hinting at the people from the Department of Case Management. Jiang Ruan looked at him and said, "If I sue my own biological father, there will inevitably be people in the capital who will talk about it. It will even affect your reputation and place Jinying Wang fu in an awkward position. Do you think that what I did was wrong?"
"He is not your father." Xiao Shao said indifferently, "You no longer have any connection with the Jiang family." Jiang Ruan was slightly stunned, only to hear Xiao Shao continue, "You married into Jinying Wang fu, so you are a member of the Xiao family. Whether it is for revenge or to overturn the case, the Xiao family will always be your backer."
His expression was firm and his words were gentle. He was obviously the coldest person, but his heart was always so warm that it made people feel happy. Jiang Ruan smiled, "Xiao Shao, thank you."
It was not a perfunctory thank you, nor was it a thank you from an ally to an ally. This thank you was full of sincerity and came from the bottom of his heart. In this world, it was rare to find someone who would always stand behind you without asking for a reason. No matter what you did, that person would always insist on being by your side. This was affection and righteousness.
"No need." Xiao Shao smiled, "If you really want to thank me, just be more enthusiastic at night."
Jiang Ruan, "…"
…
In a corner of the palace, Xuan Pei was listening to the news that Ming Yue had reported. He sneered, "Jiang Quan's good days have probably come to an end. He dared to make a move against her a few years ago, and now it is time for him to bear the consequences. The death of Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su is not the end of everything. Does he think that there is still a glimmer of hope? Ridiculous. "
Ming Yue stood silently at the side. She knew that this little master of hers had a special relationship with Jiang Ruan. It seemed that the two of them had a special relationship. However, something that even Xiao Shao could not find out, naturally, she, a secret guard, would not be able to find out. Although she was puzzled, she knew that Xuan Pei had always protected Jiang Ruan. Now, Jiang Quan's deeds had spread throughout the capital. As a father, he had been so unkind to his own daughter. Even the common people would scold him for having the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog, let alone Xuan Pei, who had a close relationship with Jiang Ruan.
"Have the people I asked you to go to the Bureau of Investigation been settled?" Xuan Pei played with the luminous pearl that was the size of a pigeon's egg in his hand. That was a gift that the Emperor had bestowed upon him yesterday after seeing that he had answered his homework extremely well. This luminous pearl was not uncommon in the palace. Even if it was placed in Xuan Hua's place, he would be envious. But now, it was being played with by Xuan Pei without a care in the world. This was enough to show Xuan Pei's current position in the court. That good-for-nothing prince who was not favored and could be bullied by everyone had already disappeared. No one dared to underestimate him anymore.
"Your Highness," Ming Yue asked, puzzled, "Xiao Wangye's side must have already informed the Bureau of Investigation. Even if Your Highness does not take action, the people of the Bureau of Investigation will not allow Jiang Ruan to gain any benefits. Why does Your Highness need to do this?" Xuan Pei's every move was being monitored by people with ulterior motives. If someone found out that he had interfered in Jiang Ruan's matter, who knew what kind of rumors would spread. In the palace, the best thing to do was to play it safe. Especially since Jiang Quan's case this time could be perfectly resolved without him taking action.
"Xiao Shao is doing what he should be doing, and what this prince is doing is also this prince's matter. Whatever this prince wants to do, does this prince still need to bask in his glory? " Xuan Pei snorted coldly, "The people of the Bureau of Investigation have always been crafty. With Jinying Wang pressuring him, coupled with this prince's move, they will realize that this matter is no small matter. Naturally, they will not leave any leeway to attack Jiang Quan. In any case, as long as Jiang Quan can be punished a little more, this prince will be very happy. "
Ming Yue shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Xuan Pei's enmity towards Xiao Shao had never diminished, but as an adult, Ming Yue felt that it was somewhat childish. This rarely appeared on Xuan Pei, who had always been mature. Moreover, she always felt that there was a hint of jealousy towards Xiao Shao. Naturally, he was jealous of Jiang Ruan. However, Xuan Pei was still very young, so Ming Yue could only think that she was being overly sensitive.
…
The entrance to the main hall of the Bureau of Investigation had long been surrounded by commoners who wanted to watch the bustle. The Bureau of Investigation had always been famous for conducting fair trials. Every time they tried a case, it was a private matter between the aristocrats of the capital. Naturally, people would come to watch the bustle and listen to the secrets. Therefore, unless one was really forced into a dead end, the average person would not bring the case to the Bureau of Investigation. After all, one's dirty linen should not be aired in public. No one wanted to bring out their own family's private and shameful matters to become a topic of discussion in broad daylight.
When Jiang Ruan arrived, it naturally caused an uproar. Since ancient times, it was the first time in history that a case against one's biological father had occurred. Moreover, the one who had done this was Jiang Ruan. Initially, she had been a nobody in the Jiang fu, but later on, she had become a popular junzhu in front of Empress Dowager Yi De. Now, she was even the princess consort of a traitor and a rebel that everyone kept a secret. Every one of Jiang Ruan's identities caused people to sigh. Admittedly, there were many gazes of jealousy, but there were even more gazes of envy.
What Jiang Quan had done was naturally unpardonable, but Jiang Ruan's actions had also not recognized even her own kin. The people's attitudes were clearly divided into two groups. One group of people firmly believed that Jiang Quan deserved to die ten thousand times for his crimes. Although Jiang Ruan's actions were out of line, they were still excusable. The other group of people felt that Jiang Ruan had violated the human relations that had existed since the founding of the Great Jin dynasty, and that it was really unfilial of her to bring her own biological father to court.
Regardless of how others viewed her, Jiang Ruan had never cared. She alighted from the carriage. Today, she was dressed in an embroidered robe. The patterns were complex and solemn, setting off her entire person to appear extremely noble. On the outside, she wore a satin fox fur pleated cloak, the colour of which was as warm as a burning fire. It had snowed the whole night before, and the accumulated snow this morning was half a foot high. Wrapped in white and white, only her red robes fluttered in the wind, beautiful and cold as she stood where she was. That gorgeous beauty almost caused people to involuntarily hold their breath.
Even though the personnel of the case department had always treated everyone who came to court equally, when they faced Jiang Ruan, they could not help but show some respect. This di daughter of the Jiang family could not be underestimated. Last night, their head, the department judge Sun Xu, had specially instructed their subordinates to be more polite to Jiang Ruan. Even someone like Sun Xu, who was not afraid of power and status, could be treated with such importance. Presumably, the background of this di daughter of the Jiang family could not be underestimated.
In comparison, the treatment that Jiang Quan received was a hundred and eight thousand miles away. In court, Sun Xu's temperament was eccentric. Almost no one feared him. Even when facing his former colleagues, he would not give them any face because of this. What Jiang Quan cared about the most was his face. Now, without rhyme or reason, he had lowered his head in front of Sun Xu, as if he really was a criminal being tried by Sun Xu. He was already burning with anger.
Jiang Xin Zhi was in the military camp discussing military affairs with the former general, so he was really unable to rush over. Jiang Ruan entered the main hall and found that Zhao Guang and the three Zhao brothers were also there. When Zhao Yuan Feng saw her, he greeted her warmly, "Ah Ruan."
After all, Zhao Mei was a member of the Zhao family. Although many years ago, it was said that she had severed all ties with the Zhao family and that the Zhao family had never raised this unfilial daughter, in reality, blood ties could not be severed. Especially the pearl in the palm of the Zhao family. When the Zhao family found out that Jiang Ruan had sued the Jiang family to the case department, they flew into a rage. If it were not for Jiang Xin Zhi's help in persuading them, Zhao Guang would have already rushed into the Minister's fu and beheaded Jiang Quan to accompany Zhao Mei in death.
The Zhao family had always been protective of their own. Today, they had come to the case department to express the Zhao family's attitude. Zhao Mei was the daughter of the Zhao family. If Zhao Mei's death was not a coincidence, and was even related to Jiang Quan, then the Zhao family would definitely not let the matter rest.
Jiang Ruan stepped forward to greet the Zhao family one by one. The womenfolk of the Zhao family and a few of their grandchildren had not come. Li shi had already regretted the matter with Zhao Mei. If she were to find out the truth in court, it would be inevitable that she would be agitated. Jiang Ruan greeted the Zhao family, but only Jiang Quan was left out. Jiang Quan, who was standing at the side, only felt that the surrounding gazes were on him. He felt very ashamed and indignant, and angrily scolded, "Unfilial descendant!"
Zhao Guang glared and wanted to scold back, but unexpectedly, Jiang Ruan was one step ahead of him. She asked Jiang Quan, "I wonder who Minister Jiang is talking about?"
Jiang Quan did not expect that the moment she opened her mouth, she would be so merciless. Immediately, he said angrily, "Facing your own father with such an attitude, I don't know where your etiquette and honor went!"
"I'm afraid that Minister Jiang has remembered wrongly." Jiang Ruan smiled. "Yesterday, half of the blood has already been paid off. BenGong no longer has any connection with the Minister's fu, so where did this father come from?"
Jiang Quan was at a loss for words. Everyone recalled how Jiang Ruan had resolutely used a dagger to cut open the back of her hand in the snow yesterday. Jiang Quan's old face flushed red. His face, which had always been refined and elegant, actually showed some signs of contortion.
"Silence!" The advisor, who had opened the court, announced in a long voice. The imperial bodyguards on both sides stood silently. Dressed in the uniform of an official's magistrate, Sun Xu, strode in with large strides. He sat down on the highest seat in the center. His gaze swept downwards, and he passed the complaint to the advisor beside him. The advisor took the complaint, cleared his throat, and read the contents of the complaint in a loud voice.
The contents of the complaint described how Xia Yan and the Xia family had conspired to murder Zhao Mei and her two sons, including the ambush on Jiang Xin Zhi in the forest, as well as the sinister methods she had used when she was young. It caused everyone's heart to palpitate with fear and trepidation. The indifferent attitude of Jiang Quan in the complaint also caused everyone to be flabbergasted. This kind of internal strife and intrigue was not uncommon in large and influential families. What was rare was that Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xin Zhi were the di children of the Minister's fu, Jiang Quan was actually so indifferent to them, allowing them to do as they pleased. The advisor was also a character. This complaint was written to make people feel indignant, but he had also written it in a cadence that was full of rich emotions. It caused the men in the crowd to roll up their sleeves and wish that they could rush in and immediately beat Jiang Quan up, while the women used their handkerchiefs to vigorously wipe away their tears.
Although Zhao Guang and the three brothers of the Zhao family had long known that Zhao Mei's life in the Minister's fu was not good, now that the complaint was read out line by line, it caused them to feel anxious. In this world, no one understood better than Jiang Ruan how painful and dangerous it was for Zhao Mei and her two brothers to live in the Jiang fu. Therefore, she was very serious in her writing. The more the Zhao family listened, the angrier they became. They were so angry that their eyes were about to split open, and they wished that they could immediately rush over and kill Jiang Quan.
Jiang Quan frowned. Now, everyone's gazes were directed at him without a trace of kindness, and he had unexpectedly become the target of public criticism. He did not know when Jiang Ruan had actually gained such influence. Sun Xu's temperament, as they had been colleagues for many years, was very clear. When facing Jiang Ruan, his subordinates were respectful and humble. Did Jiang Ruan actually have such ability? Unbeknownst to them, the confidence he had previously had had been replaced by uneasiness. Jiang Quan's expression was no longer as confident and confident as before.
The first part of the complaint was, after all, an attempt to commit a crime. However, when it reached the last part, the topic changed and changed to the matter of Zhao Mei's poisoning. It was clearly written in the complaint that the poison had been administered by Xia Yan, and that Jiang Quan was an accomplice. This was because he had known about it, yet he had looked on with folded arms, and had even encouraged and egged her on in secret!
When the complaint was finished, Jiang Quan could no longer restrain his anger and stood up, saying, "Nonsense! A load of nonsense! What poison? I did not order anyone to poison her! Zhao Mei died of illness, how can you falsely accuse me! "At the same time that he resented Jiang Ruan, he also resented Zhao Mei, who had passed away so early. He only felt that everything had started with Zhao Mei.
Zhao Guang suddenly stood up from his seat and angrily said, "Jiang Quan, do you think that I do not dare to take your life here?" His bones of steel had been tempered from the battlefield. Normally, a glare from him could frighten a child to tears. At this moment, he was truly enraged. That bloodthirsty aura hit Jiang Quan in the face. Jiang Quan shivered and suddenly swallowed the words he had been about to say.
A trace of disdain flashed in Zhao Yuanping's eyes as he chuckled and said, "Minister Jiang, why are you so anxious? You have not been convicted yet. Perhaps there is still a chance to turn the situation around. If you really want to cry injustice, there is no harm in waiting until the last moment. "
These words contained a faintly discernible chill that made one's heart tremble involuntarily. Jiang Quan was just about to speak when he heard Jiang Ruan's smiling voice say, "Not only that, I have evidence. Minister Jiang, let's first have Official Sun look at the evidence before we speak."
Jiang Quan was startled. He had not expected that Jiang Ruan would have evidence. After all, so many years had passed. He had thought that even if Jiang Ruan dug up old events, she would not be able to stir up any big waves. An old case without any evidence, what could be the final outcome? However, when Jiang Ruan said that she had evidence, he could not help but feel a little guilty. However, his mouth still stubbornly said, "What nonsense are you fabricating?"
Sun Xu slammed the gavel and shouted, "Bring in the witness!"
The subordinate very quickly brought in the so-called witness. It was a skinny young woman. Upon closer inspection, her appearance could be considered delicate and pretty, but for some unknown reason, she looked somewhat haggard. Perhaps it was due to the pressures of life, but her appearance actually made her appear older than her actual age. When Jiang Quan saw this, he sneered and said mockingly, "I do not know this person. Even if you are a witness, you should still invite someone from the Minister's fu."
When the woman heard this, she raised her head and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "It has been a long time since we parted. Laoye does not recognize this servant, but this servant still recognizes Laoye."
Jiang Quan was startled and carefully looked at the woman. After looking at her for a long time, he finally said in shock, "You are …. Butterfly? "
Butterfly smiled faintly, "It is difficult for Laoye to still remember this servant."
"Why are you here?" The hand that Jiang Quan pointed at her with could not stop trembling. At that time, he had also heard of Jiang Su Su's expulsion of Butterfly. As a servant, she had not done a good job seriously and had mixed up the placenta bought from the pharmacy with the male fetus that had miscarried in the fu. This had ruined Jiang Su Su's reputation and caused Jiang Su Su to be frightened. For such a servant, even if you beat her to death, it would not be too much. However, at that time, Jiang Su Su had already sold her off. Jiang Quan had thought that such a servant had died long ago, so he did not know why she had appeared here.
Butterfly smiled, but that smile was somewhat strange. When she looked at Jiang Quan, a trace of hatred quickly flashed through her eyes, "The reason why this servant has come here is naturally because I cannot bear the condemnation of my conscience. I have personally come to testify for the innocent former Furen, Eldest Young Master, and Eldest Young Miss."
"Nonsense!" Hearing this, Jiang Quan was so angry that his face turned green, "What exactly are you talking about?" He turned his head to look at Jiang Ruan, who was smiling faintly, and suddenly realized, "What benefits did she give you that you actually want to slander me like this? Butterfly, do you know how serious the crime of slandering an official of the imperial court is? "
Jiang Quan seemed to have lost all reason, but the people in the court were calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos, including the Sector Judge Sun Xu. The more Jiang Quan jumped over the wall in panic, the more it revealed his ugly appearance. Sun Xu had already been bribed beforehand, and seeing that Jiang Ruan and the Zhao family were watching happily, he naturally would not obstruct them.
Faced with Jiang Quan's somewhat crazed questioning, Butterfly shook her head and said, "Eldest Young Miss did not give me any benefits. Master, you are well aware of what you have done, so why do you need to put on such an innocent act? You must know that everything is predestined, and the heavens are watching. When you were doing things, you should have thought of the day when the matter would come to light. "
"You …. Why did you harm me like this! "Jiang Quan said angrily.
Butterfly lowered her head and pretended to turn a deaf ear to him. Jiang Ruan, who was sitting to one side, smiled faintly. Of course, Butterfly would come out to testify for her, not only because of her promise, but also because Butterfly deeply hated the Jiang family. When Jiang Su Su sold Butterfly because of the zihe placenta incident, it could be said that it was also Jiang Su Su's own fault. In any case, she was still a servant girl who had been by her side since she was young, yet she had been directly sold to a ninth-grade brothel. What kind of place was that brothel? Entering it was tantamount to entering a fire pit. Naturally, one could imagine what kind of life Butterfly had led. In fact, when Jiang Su Su had sold Butterfly, Jiang Ruan had sent Lu Zhu to bribe the brothel's procuress, and had been secretly monitoring Butterfly's every move. She would not let her die, but she would not let her feel better either. Butterfly had been by Jiang Su Su's side for so many years, and knew a little about the things that Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su had done. Jiang Ruan was well aware that this was an excellent chess piece that would one day be put to good use.
For example, at this moment, the appearance of this chess piece had already caused Jiang Quan to lose more than half of the game. She had appeared in front of Butterfly, promising that as long as Butterfly was willing to testify, she would save her from this crisis. Perhaps when Butterfly had first been sold, she would not have agreed to this condition, because Xia Yan was an astute person, and the servant girls she had chosen for Jiang Su Su were all extremely loyal. But after such a long time, Butterfly, who had been tortured to the point of death, could not even save her own life, so why would she care about loyalty? After so many years, she only had a deep hatred for the Jiang fu. If it were not for Xia Yan and her daughter, if it were not for Jiang Quan, how could she have been sold to such a lowly place? Time was a wonderful thing. Hatred could turn into love, and love could also turn into hatred. Therefore, when Jiang Ruan stated the condition, Butterfly agreed without hesitation.
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